Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.
The median home value in Birmingham, MI is $738,364 as of 2026-04. That places Birmingham above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 208 versus a national baseline of 100.
Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Birmingham has climbed 6.1%, and over the past five years it has averaged +5.8% annual growth. The current price sits +0.0% from its 5-year peak in 2026-04.
Renters pay a median of $3,556 per month in Birmingham. Rents have changed +2.0% over the last year and averaged +5.8% per year over five years.
Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Birmingham are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.
Housing
| Median home value | $738,364 |
| 1-year change | +6.1% |
| 5-year price growth | +5.8% |
| 10-year price growth | +4.8% |
| vs 5-year peak | +0.0% |
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).
How Birmingham compares
| Cost index | 208 (above US) |
| Median home vs US (~$355k) | +108.0% |
| Population | 22,198 |
| Momentum score | 70 (Rising) |
Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.
Affordability reality
Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how Birmingham’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.
| Median rent vs income | 28% of local median income |
| Home price-to-income | 4.8× local median income |
At $3,556/mo, rent eats about 28% of the local median household income of $153,510 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.
The median home runs about 4.8× the local median income (stretched).
Daily life in Birmingham
Climate
Summers run mild (highs near 82°F) and winters are cold (highs near 30°F), with about 50″ of snow a year.
Natural-hazard & insurance risk
No single natural hazard scores high in Birmingham — a relative plus for insurance cost and peace of mind.
Getting around
The average commute is 22 min — shorter than the US average of ~27 min; 26% of workers are remote; 77% own their home.
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.